Finding the Positive for January 8 – 10

Wonderland Jeu de Tarot de Marseille's Ace of Swords, The Tarot of the Bastard's King of Coins, Delos Tarot's Ace of Swords

January 8 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was an eight minute self-directed session focusing on a phrase posted by @poetryrise which says “Some of us don’t ascend – we root. Like heaven isn’t above, it’s within”.

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The @GlitterbyInk #JanJourney26 Embark to Renewal Challenge
The Journey Prompt for January 8th : Wisdom
Daily Mental Health Prompt
: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Ace of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of the seed of new beginnings in the area of one’s thoughts, intellect, education, logic and reason, ambition, or communication.

In order to start a new journey, sometimes we have to leave the old one behind.

The butterfly girl in this card is crying. And therein lies the truth in letting go, right?  As wel as in new beginnings.   When we have to let go, sometimes it hurts.  Sometimes it feels like we’re not ready.  Hell, sometimes it feels like we’re being pierced right through the heart (see that needle pinning her down?)

The thing is, though, we have to go through these emotions in order to move on to something new and different.  Growth hurts (seriously, think of puberty, yeah?).  Letting go hurts. That doesn’t mean we don’t do it.  It means we process these feelings of pain as we do it, and keep going.  Sometimes that means communicating our pain to others.  Sometimes that means taking a little time to lick our wounds.   Regardless, we can’t linger there forever.  Sooner or later we have to pull the pin out and step into the new thing we’re letting go of the old in order to reach for.

The message in today’s “Wisdom” prompt and the Ace of Swords is a reminder that we don’t lose the stuff we’ve already learned and experienced, even when we move on to something new. It just means we’re turning our attention in a new direction.  Just because letting go of the old hurts doesn’t mean it’s not time to let go.

DECK USED: WONDERLAND JEU DE TAROT DE MARSEILLE

January 9 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was a ten minute long #DailyTrip session from the @Calm app.

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The @GlitterbyInk #JanJourney26 Embark to Renewal Challenge
The Journey Prompt for January 9th : Control
Daily Mental Health Prompt
: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the King of Pentacles (Coins), which is traditionally a representation of a projective alpha energy, personality, or person in the area of one’s financial security, resources, health, home, labors, manifestations, and other elements of the physical realm. This often translates into leadership that creates a grounded sense of stability for others.

You choose, and then others fall into line behind you.

Because you create the stability that so many others depend on, they tend to allow you to lead and follow without question.  Remember that it’s important to encourage them to break out and do their own thing now and then, though.  Like a parent with a number of children, you can’t be their entertainment all the time.  You provide a safe space and food for their bellies, then they provide their own entertainment.  Don’t run yourself ragged trying to be the entertainment as well as the stable force in their life.

The message in today’s “Control” prompt and the King of Coins is a reminder that your role in other’s lives might hold a strong element of leadership, but that isn’t an all-encompassing role. You choose what is your responsibility and what’s not.  Part of the reason that you sometimes feel overwhelmed is when you try to do too much for others.  Today’s card is essentially a reminder to “know your place” and excel at it without worrying about what -more- you could do.

DECK USED: DECK OF THE BASTARD

January 10 – Mental Health Card of the Day

Today’s meditation was an eight minute long #DailyCalm session from the @Calm app.

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The @GlitterbyInk #JanJourney26 Embark to Renewal Challenge
The Journey Prompt for January 10th : 
Release
Daily Mental Health Prompt
: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Ace of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of the seed of new beginnings in the area of one’s thoughts, intellect, education, logic and reason, ambition, or communication.

Clearly, I’m missing the message, as this is the third time I’ve pilled this card in a week. So, let’s try breaking down this card into the basics.

The Ace of any suit is the seed of that suit. For Swords, that means it is the seed of communication. The seed of ambition. The seed of expanding one’s knowledge. The seed of a battle yet to be fought.

At the seed stage, there are a lot of unknowns. How things will go. What will happen. How you’ll react. What obstacles may come up along the way.

What cuts through this uncertainty is ambition. What assist you in moving forward is communication with self and others.

The message in today’s “Release” prompt, and Ace of Swords card is a reminder that reticence is the saboteur of new beginnings. If you’re unable or unwilling to communicate your ideas, then you’re already lopping your feet off before you’ve even started to walk the path and potential that awakened your sense of curiosity and ambition. Write your ideas out in a journal, share them with others, or otherwise get them out into the air instead of trapped within you. In doing so you give the seeds of your idea, a chance to spread, germinate, and then begin to grow.

DECK USED: DELOS TAROT 2ND EDITION

Gideon’s Challenge – Tiny Triggers

Fading HydrangeaTiny Triggers

Some days
start smoothly
but like
dominoes
one small thing
triggers
another
and the shit
rolls downhill
and you
go toppling along
in its wake

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Gideon’s Challenge – Recovery, Not Rest

Farm LandscapeRecovery, Not Rest

The flooding
is gone
and the fields
will recover
but maybe
some repairs
are needed
before spring
slips in
to steal
the extra time
needed
to recover

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Gideon’s Challenge – Supported

Two Mushrooms in the WoodsSupported

You shelter me
even
when I fight
to stand tall
on my own
I know
you are there
leaning in
to offer
support
if I need it
ready to catch me
should I fall

Photo © ZenStatePhotography

Individuality and “The Flow”

Today’s meditation was an ten minute long #DailyCalm session from the @Calm app.

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Seelenreise Tarot - TemperanceThe @GlitterbyInk #JanJourney26 Embark to Renewal Challenge
The Journey Prompt for January 7th
: Flow
Daily Mental Health Prompt
: Seek a positive message to carry with you throughout the day and offer perspective.

Today’s draw is the Temperance card, which is traditionally a representation of moderation, balance, slowing down, practicing patience, and can at times represent a connection between the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

There’s a difference between going with the flow or being a doormat. It’s a balance between your own personal motivations, and those of others.

If, for example, you lean too far into your own motivations (wants, needs, values, beliefs), then you become rigid and unable to “go with the flow”. On the other hand, if you lean too far into others motivations, to the point you are sacrificing your own? You are then swept up into a current beyond your ability to stay afloat.

The message in today’s “flow” prompt and Temperance card is that it’s okay to relax and go with the flow, just make sure you aren’t sacrificing pieces of yourself and your values along the way. This balance creates the opportunity to experience new things without losing yourself in the process.

DECK USED:  SEELENREISE TAROT

One Card Tarot Journal Activity by @mariasofia_astro
Chapter 1 | Entry 11 – Self Care and Personal Development
Affirmation
: I am hoping to reparenting my inner child.
Prompt : Draw a card and use its keywords or imagined persona to write a short letter to your inner child from a time you wish you had more comforting words or wise perspective to help you cope or understand a challenging time. What kind kindness would this card offer to your inner child?

Tarot Activity from The One Card a Day Journal by Maria Sofia Marmanides - TouHou Tarot Blossoming Chaos II - StrengthWhat feelings came up when I pulled this card?

A little girl doing “the man spread” sort of tweaks my “ew” button of inappropriateness. That said? It definitely fits the card that it’s on, so I reasoned it out to feel better about it.

What elements of the card’s meaning resonate with me and this prompt?

Manipulation. The Strength card is often about persuasion, rather than brute force. It speaks of our inner strengths, and using them to our advantage.

What in the artwork spoke to me?

The “man spread” pose of the figure in the card speaks of dominance, as I mentioned above.

The horns on her head stood out to me second, representing stubbornness and determination to get one’s way.

Third, my attention was drawn to the weighted chains and the bowl she holds in her left hand. That bowl is perfectly balanced, no spills, regardless of the tug and pull of those weighted chains. This speaks to me of protecting one’s emotions so everything stays on an even keel, regardless of outside influences.

My prompt response and reflections.

Dear Young L

You have more power over your situation (and him) than you think you do.

Remember that he is reacting to you. He may be the authority figure in your life, but in truth? You are calling the shots here.

If you are more mindful of how you react, as well as what you say and do around him, you will be able to control his reactions.

You can’t change his mind. Consider, instead of trying to force him to accept you as you are and throwing that in his face, using your influence over him to make your life easier and better.

After all, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.

Your Elder L

Other elements included in this reading:
Lace Agate D20 and D6 Gemstone Dice

DECK USED: TOUHOU TAROT BLOOMING CHAOS II

#DiscordTarotholicsJan2026 Challenge
Philosophical Prompt for January 7th
: Is it always better to have more choices?

Tarot Reading with the Seelenreise Tarot Reading Summary: Choices are empowering (The Magician). The problem comes in only when you decide to look back on the ones you’ve made that didn’t work out (Three of Swords) with recriminations and disdain (King of Swords Rx).

Take Away:  These cards indicate that yes, it’s always better to have more choices. It’s what you do with them that makes the situation bad. Remember that if you choose wisely and things don’t work out, that doesn’t necessarily mean you chose wrong.

It’s in picking on yourself and beating yourself up over the choices you -didn’t- make that creates a problem.

Other elements included in this reading:
Scotch Pine Cone for Purging Negative Influences
Foraged Lodgepole Pine for Resilience, Growth, and Renewal

Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECK USED: SEELENREISE TAROT

Daily Self Kindness

I decided to take a break and -not- ship out tomorrow.  Instead, I napped in the time that I would have been working on orders, and woke up feeling much better afterward.

Gideon’s Challenge – What Big Teeth

Indigenous Art - Victoria BCWhat Big Teeth 

The question is
who do you feed
when you forget
mindfulness
and just
become
what comes
Is it the
savage wolf
full of anger
and hunger
or the calm wolf
full of community
and pack?

Photo © ZenStatePhotography